Sun on a Cloudy Day
by Sweet Preserves
Summary: After The Stalker, Nick seeks helprefuge from a...ahem, a friend. I know, it's a crappy title so that may change. SNICKER of course, this is a WIP so bear with me. My first CSI fic!
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! This is my first CSI fanfic, and I'm relatively new to this fandom. I've been reading some for quite a while (forensicsfan is my favorite!) And I decided I'd take a stab at this stuff. I'm a diehard Snicker, I think they're just so perfect together:-) Even though I'm not into mushy romance, a lot of this will probably be like it, but I have some twisted humor too...so I don't really know how this will turn out. I've got a few plot bunnies running around in my head now so I've got to right them down soon or I'll forget! AHH Plot bunnies...they multiply just like real bunnies and I can't keep up! So, without further ado...my story takes a bow  
  
**Summary:** After The Stalker (btw I haven't seen that ep but I know what happens and I've read a lot of fanfiction with it so if I don't have everything about it right just bare with me.), Snicker, Nick seeks help/refuge from a...ahem, a friend. I know, it's a crappy title so that may change.  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for language, sexual references, adult situations (I always wanted to write that...I feel so professional...)  
  
**Disclaimer:** I own CBS, CSI and all the characters...I keep George Eads in my basement where I force him to speak in his sexy twang all day long...ahem I mean I don't own any of it but GOD I want George!!  
  
**Reviews:** PLEASE!!!!!! And flames I shall use to roast marshmallows...just if you're gonna flame me, for God's sake don't be anonymous...if there's one thing I can't stand it's someone who tries to look big and mean but is really a coward. I won't bite, just don't flame me if you're afraid to let anyone know who you are.  
  
**AN:** Wow, this is long...I'd better get to the story...  
  
Sara Sidle walked through CSI at a relaxed pace for once. She caught the killer who had strangled numerous women in Los Vegas, the final one surviving long enough to identify him from a lineup. No matter how hard her job was and how disturbing it could be, she loved it, just for the satisfaction of helping others, solving puzzles and bringing people to justice. The workaholic turned into the break room to get a cup of Greg's Blue Hawaiian before she had to go and finish the paperwork for her case. It had been a trying week for everyone, especially the soft-spoken Texan she worked with, Nick Stokes, who went through pure hell with a creepy and dangerous stalker. But now, Nigel Crane was dead, and Nick was able to get on with his life without police protection.  
  
Humming a tune underneath her breath she went in the room and was met with Nick sleeping on the couch. She couldn't help but smile; he looked so sweet when he slept. He looked good anytime, his face so charming and handsome. But while sleeping, he looked like the same gorgeous man, and at the same time, a small innocent little boy. While she poured a cup she saw the couch move, and he began tossing and turning. It was odd for Nick to fall asleep on the job, but she never thought anything of it until he started mumbling in his sleep.  
  
"No...Nigel no...don't... take me just don't hurt her...God no...Ahhh give me the gun Nigel please...I won't...NOOOO!!!" He sat up, gasping for air when Sara ran to his side, rubbing his back to calm him.  
  
"Nick, it's okay, it's me Sara, are you—"  
  
"SARA!" He whipped around to look at her, eyes wide with fear. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. It's okay, it was just a dream."  
  
"No... no oh No that wasn't a dream...that was a nightmare..."  
  
"Would you like a glass of water?"  
  
"No..." He shook his head and gulped down some air. "Coffee...need to stay awake..."  
  
"Nick..."  
  
"I have to stay awake or he'll get me." He whispered urgently.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Nigel." His voice was barely audible and it cracked as he whispered the name.  
  
"Nick, he can't get you. Nigel Crane is dead."  
  
His brown eyes brimmed with tears as realization struck him. "Oh God...I know Sara...but...I'm scared..."  
  
"I know, honey, come here." She hugged him and he put his head on her shoulder, trying to hold back his tears.  
  
"I need some coffee."  
  
"What you need is to go home and rest." At these words, Nick tensed up.  
  
"Home?" He lifted off her to look her in the eye. "And sleep?"  
  
"Yes. I can let Grissom know if you want—"  
  
"No, I can't go home..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He sees me through the hole in the wall."  
  
Suddenly it all dawned on Sara. No wonder he was asleep on the couch, he hasn't slept since the encounter with Nigel.  
  
"Nick, when was the last time you slept?"  
  
"Just then."  
  
"Besides that, when was the last time you slept? I don't mean a nap like today, I mean the last time you went home and had a good night's sleep."  
  
By now, Nick had stood up and was pacing nervously. He paused and looked up at the ceiling, his hands resting on his hips as he thought. One hand reached up and wiped his mouth nervously. "Uhh...the night I got the first phone call."  
  
"Two weeks ago?!"  
  
Silently, he nodded.  
  
"Nick, why?"  
  
"Jesus Sara, the man was stalking me! He was in my attic, looking down at me. He knew EVERYTHING about me. He DIED in my house! He pointed a gun at me! There's a fucking hole in the ceiling where he looked down on me! God when I try to sleep I have a horrible nightmare, sometimes reliving exactly what happened, sometimes one of my friends is there, someone I love is in front of them, and Nigel will have the gun pointed at them. Sara...I can't go back...I just can't go back there..." Finally, his voice cracked and he let the tears fall from his eyes.  
  
"Nick, come here." She opened her arms and he settled down on the couch, burying his face in her shoulder while she rubbed his back, trying to calm his tears.  
  
The slight commotion caused Catherine Willows, a senior CSI to see what was going on in their break room. She walked by and looked in to see Nick and Sara cuddled on the couch crying. Sara looked up at her, and placed a finger to her lips to let Catherine know it was okay, and she didn't need to tell anyone about what was happening. Catherine nodded and let the two junior CSIs work things out. She had a feeling about Nick, that he wasn't as okay with everything as he seemed. She looked at the young man in a motherly way, and she was glad to see Sara was helping him get through his problems.  
  
Once Nick's tears had subsided to a few hiccups and sniffles every now and again, Sara held him close, rubbing the back of his neck gently. "What are you gonna do?" She whispered into his hair.  
  
"I dunno Sara. I thought about asking Warrick if I could crash at his place but it wouldn't work. I scream in my sleep, sometimes I cry when I'm alone. I can't help it, and guys just don't cry in front of other guys. We're stupid like that sometimes." He offered her a weak smile and looked into her eyes. She could tell his famous Texan grin with his bright eyes sparkling was hiding underneath his solemn expression, but it wasn't completely gone. She decided she would help him smile again.  
  
"Pride."  
  
"Exactly. I know War would say he understood and he wouldn't think I was a pansy or anything, but still, it would be weird. Personally, I wouldn't want him holding me in the middle of the night if I had a nightmare."  
  
"That is a sight I would like to see."  
  
"Shut up, Sar." Both breathed a laugh as he rested more on her. "But War's out of the question, Catherine would mother me and make sure I'd eat my vegetables, Greg would want me to stay up all night so we can swap 'manly stories' and it would just be weird living with Gris."  
  
Sara sat quiet for a minute. "You know, I do have a guest room and a couch."  
  
"Sara, it would be great, and I don't care about my reputation, Greg's got that shot, but I care about yours. It wouldn't look good if I moved in with you. The guys it wouldn't seem bad and Catherine it would be like she's my mom..."  
  
"Look if people got nothing better to do than to talk about my living arrangements with a friend, then they really are not worth my worries."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive. How about we go out after shift, get some breakfast then go to your place to pack a few things. Then we'll get on over to my house and get you settled in."  
  
"Only if you're absolutely sure."  
  
"Nick, I'm absolutely, positively, completely sure."  
  
"With sugar on top?" He asked with a small grin.  
  
"And a cheery."  
  
**AN:** So what do you think? Good, bad, Ugly?? My beta is... well I can't find her...HELLO?? BETA?! Well I lost Corporal Cupcake, but I can't wait to post this and get some reviews. If it's THAT bad I'll repost it once she reads it over...when I find her. And I promise these boring A/Ns will get shorter as I go along, I just had to introduce myself and all. Why are you still reading this? If you're still reading, then review and get out of here!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you so much for all your reviews, you've been very supportive:-) Of course I am continuing...well as you can see since this is a new chapter...sorry, sorry I promised I wouldn't ramble anymore. But, thanks to adpi24, Sinilu Silverspell, Shelbers, love N/S, Freddie, MissyJane, SistaSouljah, and Corporal Cupcake. These are all I have so far so if you reviewed and I didn't mention you, I'm sorry, but thank you so much! I'll try to do this, but if too many people review I may not be able to, we'll see how it goes. Oh and yes, I am proud to say I have come out of the Snicker closet...there were some interesting things going on in there...never knew Nick and Sara were like that...wow...  
  
After a rare relatively relaxing shift, Nick hopped into the passenger side of Sara's Denali. Since he had not had much sleep, he was afraid to drive and had made up an excuse to ask Warrick to drive him to work. He knew getting over this ordeal would be hard, but for the first time in two weeks he had a real, genuine smile on his face. Now that Sara knew, it was a lot easier. Sometimes asking for help was the biggest and hardest step to make.  
  
"So, where to?"  
  
"Is there anywhere else?"  
  
"Jenny's." They both said at the same time, causing them to laugh a little. (A completely original name...not at all like Denny's.)  
  
As they drove, Nick listened to the radio station Sara had on in her car. "Really, Sara. Pop?"  
  
"Hey I sometimes I just like to listen to something mindless and brainless and at least try to keep my brain from thinking so much."  
  
"But pop?"  
  
"It has a good beat."  
  
Nick looked at her with raised eyebrows and searched through her radio. All of her pre-programmed stations were pop, and with some tuning he finally found what he was looking for.  
  
"Nick...country?"  
  
"It's good. Just listen."  
  
"I just hope it's more than 'my cow wouldn't move so I shot it...my dog wouldn't bark so I shot it... my truck broke down so I shot it... my wife didn't listen so I shot her..." She sang in a fake, exaggerated twang.  
  
"Hey hey don't you mock my people." He said jokingly. "But no, most of it's not like that. It's actually pretty good."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
By the time they pulled into Jenny's, Sara was humming along with the last course of a Dixie Chicks song.  
  
"I told you you'd like it." Nick announced triumphantly.  
  
"I never said I liked it." He gave her a look. "It was okay." His eyebrows raised expectantly. "Okay, I liked it." She said defeated.  
  
"Told ya."  
  
"Shut up, jerk." She swatted his arm before getting out of the truck.  
  
They joked around as they entered the restaurant, and a young blonde girl with big boobs and a short skirt showed them to a table. Sara eyed her carefully, and felt a pang of possessiveness over Nick. Sure they weren't together, they were only friends, but she couldn't stand the way the waitress eyed Nick. Sara was fully aware of how good looking and charming he was, but it still annoyed her when other girls looked at him like that. She couldn't help but wonder if he liked it like that. After all, the girl that served them was what Sara had labeled as Nick's 'type'.  
  
"I'll have the vegetarian omelet and a hash brown on the side with a large orange juice and a coffee." Sara ordered without even looking at the menu.  
  
"Yeah and I'll have the steak and eggs with Texas toast, with a large orange juice and coffee."  
  
"My, my, aren't you the little cowboy." The young girl, whose nametag said 'Trisha' giggled, her voice sickly sweet.  
  
"Ah...uh huh..." Nick smiled at her and as she looked away he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Isn't she a little young for you Nick?" Sara said, pretending to tease him, though really pissed off about the whole situation.  
  
"Yeah...I've seen her here before. God she's annoying."  
  
She was surprised to say the least. "I thought you liked girls drooling all over you."  
  
"Yeah right. I just love to have women looking at me like I'm a piece of meat at the supermarket." He remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"But I thought-"  
  
"Look Sara, I'm not a frat boy, a womanizer, or a playboy. I have done some things in the past that I'm not particularly proud of, but anything going around the lab about me most likely isn't true. Especially if you've heard it from Greg." Right away he realized his confession had come out more forceful than he intended, and judging by the look on her face, Sara was in shock. He sighed. "God I'm sorry Sara. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just get annoyed sometimes when all the guys in the lab expect me to tell them some manly story about how I got laid by another blonde bimbo from the strip over the weekend. And the girls I always seem to attract are girls who are like that, who like me for my body, and don't care about my mind."  
  
"It's okay Nick. And I'm sorry for believing all that stuff." She put her hand on the table and he laid his hand over hers.  
  
"Don't worry about it." He gave her a large grin. "And thanks so much for taking me in. You don't know what this means to me."  
  
"No problem. Nobody should ever feel alone or afraid. You should have told me earlier."  
  
"Yeah well-"  
  
"Here you go." Trisha and all her pep was back as she served Nick, bending over a little too much for Sara's liking. Another waitress was with Trisha and gave Sara her meal, all the while looking at Nick. As they walked away they giggled, and Sara heard the other girl say "Wow you're right, he is hot."  
  
Nick cleared his throat and took a drink of water.  
  
"Why don't you ask one of them for their number." Sara teased.  
  
"High school cheerleaders really aren't my type." He said with a sarcastic smile on his face.  
  
Laughing, Sara dug into her omelet. Soon the friends fell into a comfortable silence. Nothing needed to be said while they enjoyed their meal, and not once did they feel awkward with each other.  
  
"So, I'll help you pack a few things then we'll head on over to my place?" Sara asked towards the end of their breakfast.  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
"Oh, we may want to go to the supermarket first. I don't have any meat at home and I don't know if a carnivore like you could survive on without meat." "I like vegetables."  
  
"Besides potatoes?"  
  
"I do. I just... prefer meat. But I like vegetables with my meat."  
  
"Whatever you say, carnivore." She laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Sure, little miss I'll-have-the-fotu-not-the-tofu-cause-it's-cruel-to-the- soy-beans."  
  
"Hey, if you had to watch a pig decompose you'd be vegetarian."  
  
"Oh no, not this man." Jokingly, he puffed out his chest and slapped it. "Me like steak."  
  
Sara burst out laughing, nearly spitting orange juice everywhere. A bit dribbled down her chin and he looked at her, laughing as he subconsciously reached out to wipe it off. They both froze at the contact, the silence awkward for the first time between them. "That's a good look for you, Sar." He grinned to break the tension.  
  
"Shut up." She playfully grumbled as she wiped her face.  
  
They finished their meal, laughing together despite the frequent visits from 'Trisha', checking their coffee, orange juice; Sara was about ready to crack.  
  
"You ready to go?" She asked.  
  
"God yes." He started pulling out enough money to cover both their meals.  
  
"No Nick I got mine."  
  
"You're taking me in for a few days, it's the least I can do."  
  
"A few days?"  
  
"Well I can be out as soon as you want. Even just for tonight."  
  
"No, you can stay as long as you want. It really doesn't matter to me. You can live with me until you get a different apartment or until you're comfortable. Sure you can move into my place. It's good to have company and I've got another bedroom."  
  
"Wait, I just thought of something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Does your landlord let you have dogs?"  
  
"Oh right, I completely forgot about Dallas." She grinned as she thought of the sweet but large female chocolate lab Nick owned. "It shouldn't be a problem. Mr. Roper only comes down once a month or so to check on the place."  
  
"Great." Nick grinned. "You don't need to worry about her, she's a good dog. She'll even sleep on my bed with me."  
  
"That's fine. I love Dallas."  
  
"Someday I'll have to take you to Texas. You'd love the real thing even more." He froze when he realized what he had said, praying she didn't catch on to what he had said.  
  
"That would be fun." She grinned. "If Grissom would ever let us take vacation at the same time."  
  
"Well I got the check. I only go Dutch when girls ask me what kind of car I drive. Should I give her a tip?"  
  
"Yeah, poor thing is probably starving for a new boob job." Sara grumbled sarcastically, getting a big laugh out of Nick.  
  
He placed the money on the table and stood up. "C'mon."  
  
On their way out, Nick spotted Trisha coming up in the corner of his eye. "Quick, pretend you're my girlfriend."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it." He whispered urgently to Sara and took her hand in his.  
  
"Huh...oh Sweetie..." She began to gush as the woman neared them. "Thank you soo much for breakfast." As much as she hated girls for it, she let out a big giggle. "Eskimo kiss!!" He looked at her and she reached up and they rubbed noses, both of them laughing. Before he could stop himself he gave her a peck on the lips. Sara paused for a second in shock but tried to recover quickly. _'He's just pretending.'_ She reminded herself. "Oh you're just so CUTE!" She tried to keep up the act.  
  
"Um... have a nice day." The young waitress faked a smile and walked off in a huff.  
  
Once they were outside of the restaurant, Nick leaned over to her. "Thanks so much, Sara." He said, breathing a sigh of relief. However, they continued holding hands until they had to get in their respective sides of the Denali. It just felt comfortable.  
  
When they got inside Nick's apartment, Dallas greeted each of them enthusiastically, barking as she pounced around the living area.  
  
"Shh, girl, you wanna cause a disturbance in the neighbourhood?" The dog just barked back at him. "Ah, c'mere." He grabbed her neck as he got down on the floor and played with the dog. Sara watched with amusement as Nick played like a big puppy, barking back at Dallas every time she barked at him. She laughed when Dallas triumphantly pinned Nick to the ground. "Okay girl, time to get off me. If you were Sara I wouldn't mind, but you're a bit too furry for me." He grinned and winked at Sara who blushed.  
  
"I don't get down on the floor and act like an animal."  
  
"I'm sure you do in bed though."  
  
Her jaw dropped and she smacked him hard on his arm, getting a good feel of his muscular biceps. "You're horrible!" She punched him again.  
  
"Smack me as hard as you want, baby, I like it rough."  
  
"NICK!" She screeched.  
  
"Yes scream my name..." He grabbed her by the hips and began to tickle her. "Nick lemme go!!" Dallas began to bark at Nick as if trying to protect Sara. "Get him, girl!" With that, Sara and the Labrador, without warning pounced on Nick, Sara tickling him while Dallas licked him all over.  
  
"Okay, okay, uncle! UNCLE!"  
  
"Dallas doesn't know what uncle means, Nick."  
  
He sighed. "You're supposed to be loyal, be man's best friend!" Nick looked at his dog, who went over and sat by Sara, cuddling into her. "You think you know who your friends are..." He mumbled as he stood up. "Well we'd better get packing. I'll get my clothes and things, you want to take some CDs and my DVDs?"  
  
"Well you have a bunch of old westerns and country CDs."  
  
"Hey don't knock em till you try em."  
  
"Well you could pack them and I could pack your clothes."  
  
"Nuh huh. Then you'll go into work and tell everyone what kind of underwear I have."  
  
"You don't wear tighty whities, do you?" She asked, praying he didn't.  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Okay well as long as it's anything but lacy thongs, then I'm okay with it."  
  
Nick smirked at her. "For your information I wear boxers. Well sometimes boxer briefs."  
  
"Oooh sexy." She teased.  
  
"Well what do you wear?"  
  
"If you're living with me you're bound to see me doing my laundry. You'll find out then."  
  
"I told you mine!"  
  
"So?  
  
"You wear thongs don't you?"  
  
"Well...sometimes..." Nick's eyes widened. He never imagined...well he imagined Sara in a thong but he never thought she would actually wear one. "What?" She asked innocently when she saw the look on his face. "A girl needs to feel sexy once and a while."  
  
"Uh...yeah." He cleared his throat. "Well I'll go...uh...umm..."  
  
"Pack?" She offered.  
  
"Yeah, pack. You just go through my CDs and uh whatever..." He trailed off as he ran into his room, praying his jeans didn't show any evidence of what he was thinking about Sara.  
  
Once he was packed, including the CDs and DVDs, which he had to beg Sara to let him take, they headed out to the car with his and Dallas' things; the dog bounding around them. Sara held her collar and bent down next to her as she watched Nick lifting the heavy boxes into the truck. From the angle she was at, she saw his large firm arms lifting, and when he would bend down she saw his very nice ass.  
  
"God, Dallas you're owner is sexy." She whispered. "Lucky dog..." Dallas just turned around and licked her face. "Thanks. But I'd rather you got Nick to do that."  
  
"All set."  
  
"Okay, lets go to the grocery store."  
  
When they got to the parking lot, Nick turned around and looked at the excited retriever. "Now you stay right there. Don't touch anything, don't eat anything, and don't pee on anything, okay?" Dallas whined and lay down on the back seat.  
  
"Jeeze, Nick, you don't let her do anything fun." Sara teased.  
  
After going through each isle, they piled the cart high with every kind of food. Usually, Sara ate out, and Nick promised to make some good home cooked vegetarian meals for her. At one point, Nick got very immature and giggled as they passed the condom and feminine hygiene isles.  
  
"We should go pick up like a 40 pack of condoms and when we get up there say like 'ooh honey do you think we have enough for tonight? I don't know, want me to get another pack to make sure?'"  
  
"Nick you're horrible!"  
  
"I know." He laughed. "C'mon."  
  
At the checkout, he pulled out his wallet, but Sara insisted she pay. But Nick proved stronger than her and held her arms behind her back while he swiped his debt card and punched in his number.  
  
"You didn't have to do that." Sara told him on their way out.  
  
"Sure I did. You're putting up with me, it's the least I could do."  
  
"I am putting up with you, but you said that at the restaurant. Plus, what I meant was you didn't need to hold my hands behind my back." She pushed him as they got to the car.  
  
"Ready to go to your new home?" Sara asked him.  
  
"I dunno. Ready girl?" Nick asked Dallas, who barked enthusiastically. "Yup." He grinned.  
  
**AN: REVIEW**! Oh just wondering, how long should I do my chapters? I can do them long, but it will take me longer to update. Or I can do shorter ones and update more frequently. Let me know! Oh, and we only have 10 days of classes left before exams, so I'm gonna be busy for a while, and may not update as much as I'd like to. But after, I'll be free...(hopefully I'll get a job though) But I'll be able to update a lot more often.  
  
**TBC!**


	3. Chapter 3

Wow....it's been a long time... but yes I am alive. I had the flu and of course got out of the habit of writing, then exams came up and yadda yadda yadda, but I am here before you now to try and get back into the swing of things and update a little more frequently and perhaps to finish a story one day. Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews, and it seems unanimous that everyone likes the chapter length this way and no longer. Awesome:-) And about Dallas, I got that inspiration from the movie A Walk in the Park, where George Eads stars. The movie is ultimate cheese but it's cute and he's so great with the dogs I had to give him one. :-) (He's also very nice wet in a towel;-);-) heehee)

I could steal from forensicsfan and say I would like to have a cup of coffee with George... but I think I would like a little more perhaps... heehee;- ) But I own nothing CSI, other than a CSI computer game. Did you hear about the sushi restaurant for lawyers? It's called sosumi:-D

BTW, this is going to be a long chapter, just because I want to get something more accomplished in the chapter... rather than having more than one chapter of just humor... cause there's more to this story than that... if that makes any sense to you fine folk.

"You sure?"  
  
"Sara, I can handle it." A muffled voice came from behind a pile of boxes and bags. All Sara could see of Nick were his legs, the top of his forehead, and his hands underneath the stack of his belongings. If that wasn't enough he had two bags of groceries hung on each hand.  
  
"I can take some of it."  
  
"There's still some stuff in the back of the car."  
  
"But we could just make more trips-"  
  
"It's fine." Nick started to walk up to her apartment.  
  
"I've got the key so you may want to wait there, buddy boy."  
  
"Okay, fine."  
  
Sara took four bags in each hand then started to walk in front of him. "Can you even see?"  
  
"No, just keep talking so I know where to go."  
  
She chuckled and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."  
  
"I know." Came the muffled reply.  
  
When they got to the door, Sara unlocked it and opened it wide for Nick to go on in. Before he knew what was happening, Dallas ran ahead into the house and he tripped in her short frame.  
  
"Dallas!" Nick shouted before boxes flew everywhere. He grabbed the first thing he could to stop himself from falling and grabbed an unprepared Sara.  
  
"Nick!" Sara called when he fell on top of her.  
  
He laughed hard when he realized what a site they must have been; the two of them lying in the middle of the doorway with groceries and boxes everywhere and a dog barking at the pair.  
  
"Nick get off me!"  
  
"That's not what you said last night, baby." He whispered in a teasing stage whisper.  
  
"NICK!"  
  
"Okay, okay." He got up, chuckling and took her hand to help her on her feet.  
  
"I told you you had too much stuff."  
  
"It was Dallas' fault."  
  
"Uh huh." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well we'd better pick this up."  
  
"Jeeze, I'm not moved in with her for five minutes and already she's nagging me." He said with a grin.  
  
"I do not nag!"  
  
"Whatever you say, Naggy McNag."  
  
"Naggy McNag?" She repeated, blinking at him.  
  
"Uh huh." His grin got wider.  
  
"That's the best insult you could come up with?"  
  
"I'll go get the rest of the stuff."  
  
"If you didn't notice, although since you couldn't see I guess you didn't notice that I took what was left in the Denali."  
  
"All of it?"  
  
"There wasn't much left! You took pretty much everything!"  
  
Nick merely chuckled and stepped into her apartment, looking around. "And I thought I was a neat freak."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Her apartment wasn't small, but it wasn't overly large. Just right for two people to live comfortably. Nothing was out of place; even the stack of magazines on the coffee table was perfectly lined up according to size. Kicking off his shoes, he ambled over to the kitchen area with some grocery bags. When he opened the fridge door he looked up at her.  
  
"I guess you don't eat in much, do you?" The fridge had a lemon, a few bottles of beer and some lettuce. Other than that, it was full of old take out containers.  
  
"Well—"  
  
"This must be the only messy spot here. I would say most of this has gone bad, give me a garbage bag I'll clear this out. If you want to help unpack why don't you put my DVDs over by yours. It could take a while to get them in alphabetical order." He added sarcastically with a smirk.  
  
"I don't..." He raised an eyebrow at her. "They're listed by category THEN alphabetical...so what?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Just hand me a garbage bag."  
  
After a few hours of cleaning, rearranging, and bickering, they finally got all of Nick's things put away and with Nick's help, Sara's apartment looked more lived in and homey. Dallas laid down in her bed which was next to the sofa and Nick and Sara were seated together, each with a beer in their hands.  
  
Nick sighed heavily and stretched out on the couch. "You want me to cook now?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
"No, you're tired. I can wait for tomorrow. Pizza?"  
  
"Only if it's meat lovers."  
  
"Shut up cowboy. How about I order the pizza."  
  
"Okay, as long as there's no freaky stuff looking back up at me."  
  
Sara laughed and called the nearest pizza place before relaxing back into the couch. "That was hard work."  
  
"Hey, I did most of the work."  
  
"I helped push the couch."  
  
"If that's what makes you feel better."  
  
"Ah, I'm stiff." She stretched and rolled her neck.  
  
"I'll have you know I can give the best massage known to man."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Of course. Uh, why don't you sit on the floor." She looked at him skeptically, but sat down on the floor between his legs, her back against the couch. His large strong hands started on the indent between her neck and shoulders and massaged the sore muscles.  
  
"Oh Nick..." She moaned her name and he gulped. It was starting to get hot in the room and if he got really turned on, something embarrassing could really happen. "That feels really goooood..."  
  
"Uh, I wonder where the pizza is..."  
  
"Nick I only called a few minutes ago."  
  
"Well they should be quicker."  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"No no no no I'm fine, just just perfectly f-f-fine..."  
  
"Oookay..."  
  
"I just remembered, uh, Wild On Discovery's on!"  
  
"What?" She turned around and he grabbed the remote to turn the TV on.  
  
"Nick what's wrong?"  
  
"Noth-"His voice squeaked and he cleared his throat. "I mean nothing."  
  
"Alright." She eyed him carefully and sat down next to him. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You look kinda red in the face." She moved to put her arm across his forehead.  
  
"Y-you know maybe I-I should just-I'll be right back."  
  
With that, he ran down the hall into the bathroom. Panting, he threw some cold water on his face and composed himself.  
  
"Nick? You okay?" Sara knocked on the other side of the door.  
  
"Ye-yeah I'll be out in a second."  
  
"Okay. Just shout out if you need anything, alright?"  
  
"Uh huh." When he heard her walk away he breathed a sigh of relief. "How am I gonna last living with her." He looked at himself in the mirror. "I can't do this, she's one of my best friends. It's wrong for me to look at her like that."  
  
Nick shook his head and composed himself once again. With a little more confidence, he walked out of the bathroom. Sara was sitting on the couch with a pizza on the coffee table.  
  
"Grab a plate." She said with a smile. "You want to play Monopoly or something?"  
  
"Oh my God, I haven't played that in so long."  
  
Sara laughed. "Good, I'm gonna kick your ass!"  
  
"Oh no, you like staring at it too much." He teased.  
  
"I do not!" She screeched, her jaw dropping.  
  
"Sure. I know you do. I've caught you."  
  
"Whatever. You think very highly of yourself if you think I've looked at your ass."  
  
"Oh come on. Remember that time when we were trying to get the bar off of the shower in the cookie cutter home?"  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"I know you stared when I was pulling it off."  
  
Sara couldn't help but think about how good he looked, his strong muscles flexing while he tried to pull it off. "Why do you think that?"  
  
"Cause I was staring at yours." He said with a grin.  
  
"You male chauvinist pig!" She smacked him.  
  
"Hey, I know girls do it too."  
  
"We do not... ogle men..." She started getting flustered. Nick smirked.  
  
"Come on, I told you I looked at yours. Why don't you tell me the truth."  
  
She sighed, defeated. "Okay maybe once. But you know it was only cause you were right in front of me with your ass in the air. I think anyone would have looked then. Even Warrick." She added with a sly grin.  
  
Nick nearly choked on his pizza in disgust and shock at her last statement but quickly recovered. "Sara, I am shocked and appalled. Looking at me like I am merely an object." He pretended to be offended.  
  
"Nick you're horrible. C'mon I'm gonna kick your ass at Monopoly."  
  
"Unless I kick yours first."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
Several hours into the game, Nick tossed the rest of his money and properties onto the board. "Fine you win."  
  
"I told you!"  
  
"It was only cause you got Parkplace and Boardwalk. If it wasn't for that you would have been bankrupt long ago."  
  
"Nick, look down. I own the entire board."  
  
"I've got Mediterranean and Baltic!"  
  
"Oh, sorry. That makes all the difference." She jabbed, sarcastically.  
  
"I'm just out of practice. Hook up my PS2, I'll kick your ass."  
  
"I don't like video games."  
  
"Chicken! Chicken! BAW-KAWWWW!" He flapped his arms and moved his head back and forth, pretending to be a chicken, though looking more like a crazy Texan flapping his arms.  
  
"Okay so apparently you are twelve years old."  
  
"I've got lots of nieces and nephews. I never did grow up. I'm their favorite uncle."  
  
"Really? I didn't know you had a big family. How many brothers and sisters?"  
  
"Six sisters, one brother. I'm the youngest."  
  
"Wow, you two were outnumbered. Why don't you tell me about them?."  
  
"What about PS2?" Her playful mood was gone, suddenly, she was sitting next to him, smiling a thousand watt smile.  
  
"Nick I hardly know anything about you. I mean I know you, but nothing about your friends or family. And if you're living here, why not tell me?"  
  
"Only if you tell me about your family."  
  
"Mine's not that interesting. Just me and my parents in a Bed and Breakfast."  
  
"That sounds cool." She shrugged. "I'll tell you about my family, but only if you promise to tell me about yours."  
  
"I just told you my story."  
  
"There's got to be more than that. I'll tell you mine, then you tell me yours."  
  
She sighed. "Fine, but you first."  
  
"Okay, well it all started way back on the 18th of August, 1971, in Dallas Texas. The most beautiful little baby boy the world ever saw was born—"  
  
"Nick..." He looked at her with a grin. "I want a story, not an ego trip."  
  
"I take it you're looking for the shorter version?"  
  
"Yeah, slightly shorter."  
  
"Alright. Well, my brother Michael is the oldest; he's 50. The next is Elizabeth, she's 46. Then Eve and Bridget, the twins, are 42. Katherine is 38, and then Victoria is 34. Last is me, Nicholas," She smiled when he rolled his eyes at his full name. "And I'm... 28." Sara glared at him. "Okay, 32."  
  
She giggled. "You're old."  
  
"Hey you're only a month younger than me! It's your turn now."  
  
"No way, I said my bit. I want to hear about you."  
  
"I'm sure you have some stories, growing up with that many kids, it had to have been interesting." "I'm sure yours is more interesting than mine. I lived in the romanticized world of Texas, with cowboys and ranches. I was born in Dallas, but we lived on the outskirts of the city on a huge ranch. Each of us had our own horse; mine was Storm. He's still at the ranch now, but he's retired. Horses live a long time, but I can't ride him like a used to. My other horse is only 12, he's Maverick.  
  
"My brother and I get along, but he's 18 years older than me, so we never saw much of each other growin up. He and his friends used to play a lot of pranks on me, and quite a few of them ended up with me in the barnyard in little pajamas with the feet in them, or the ones with the cowboys on them. Very embarrassing." Nick grinned at the memory, not noticing that his accent was becoming more pronounced as he talked about home.  
  
"Mike was married by the time I was only ten, and I've been an uncle since I was fourteen. My parents are still trying to set me up with the girls around town, since I'm the only bachelor left. Mike had three girls, and although Dad is smitten at that he wants me to be married off and have a boy so I can 'carry on the family name.'" He made his voice deeper to imitate his dad. "Beth's got four kids; two girls and two boys, Eve's got three; two boys and a girl, Bridge's got five kids; three girls and two boys, Katie's got four; three boys and one girl, and Vicky's got four; three girls and a boy."  
  
By now, Sara was sitting up hugging her knees to her chest, hanging onto every word. She could tell he was in love with his family, and he missed them greatly being in Vegas. He took a minute to collect his thoughts and she asked quietly, "Do you miss them?"  
  
"Oh yeah. But I couldn't turn down the chance to work with Gil Grissom, and had to come out here. Everyone else is still in Texas, most of them living in Dallas." He chuckled. "Every Sunday, whoever's in driving distance always comes back to mom and dad's for a big turkey dinner. Every single Sunday..."  
  
"I wish I had a family like that." Sara said sadly.  
  
"So what was your childhood like? I bet it was... interesting."  
  
She snorted a laugh. "You can say that again." Smugly, he opened his mouth but she stopped him. "A figure of speech, Nick." With a big sigh, she began her tale. "Well as you know, my parents are ex hippies. Being born in 1971, my parents were just getting over the fact that the 60s were finally over, and the new decade was very different. They went to Woodstock 1969, where they got married by a pastor performing marriages for $3.00,"  
  
"Sounds like Vegas."  
  
"Sort of. Mom showed me a picture of the wedding... she wasn't wearing a shirt, just paint." Nick's eyes widened. "They were very sexually liberated. Mom gave me 'the talk' at age eight when I caught them on the couch. Oh, and I was apparently conceived at a concert in San Fran that was similar to Woodstock, just smaller."

"Woah."  
  
"Yeah... Paula and Keith became better known for a while as Flower and Rain. Some of their friends still call them that. My middle name is... never mind."  
  
"No, c'mon tell me."  
  
"No, it's too weird." Grinning, he leaned over and tickled her sides, getting a loud laugh from her. "Okay, okay..." He let go. "It's..." She sighed. "If you tell anyone at the lab, so help me God you'll be singing soprano with the Dixie Chicks." He laughed. "It's... Willowtree."  
  
Nick starred at her for a moment, blinked twice and swallowed a grin as he said "Sara Willowtree Sidle?"  
  
"Yes. Dad wanted to call me Sue. Sue Almond. I would have been Sue A. Sidle."  
  
"Woah... that wouldn't have been good."  
  
"No, especially in our line of work. 'Hi, I'm Sue A Sidle, I'd like to talk to you about your son's Suicide.' That would have worked really well."  
  
"So, didn't you grow up on a bed and breakfast?"  
  
"Yeah, well it was several little cottages, and our house had a huge dinning room where everyone came to eat. I spent my summers cooking, cleaning, everything. Being an only child, it was hard, so they hired kids from the town too. Most of the people that used to go there were hippies too, and the kids were all scared off, so needless to say, I wasn't too popular. Especially when we'd get calls from parents saying they heard strange noises coming from my parents room. Now, it's more of a honeymoon retreat, where each cottage is supplied with, get this, along with the regular soap shampoo and all that, a variety bundle of condoms, as well as a Kama Sutra book and sensual oils."  
  
With wide eyes, Nick managed to say, "If they were that liberated you would think they would have had more kids. I mean, my parents were very conservative, and they had seven of us."  
  
"Yeah, well mom was on the new 'medical miracle', the pill. She used to tell me about it and by the time I was fourteen she told me I should go on it 'just in case'."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"You've said that about fifteen times now."  
  
"Yeah, well... you're childhood was certainly... different from mine..."  
  
"Yeah at least you didn't learn about sex when you were eight."  
  
"No, I was six."  
  
"No way!" She pushed his arm.  
  
"Hey, my brother was 18 when I was born! Everyone was older than me and kept it from me for a while, but eventually I found out. When he came home from college, he'd bring girls home sometimes. Mom would make them sleep in separate rooms, but his room was next to mine, and he'd sneak them in. I used to hear strange sounds from his room until one night when I had a bad dream I went in there and saw him and his girlfriend, who's actually now his wife, on his bed... doing... well you know..."  
  
"Sex?" She offered. (AN minds out of the gutter, people, she did NOT offer him sex! At least not yet, lol)  
  
He blushed. "Yes."  
  
"Nick, you're 32, we work together in a field where we come across some sick people, and have to deal with everything from collecting semen to visiting whorehouses for information. And you can't say sex to me?"  
  
"I was just... brought up to respect a lady and not talk about that stuff..." He mumbled.  
  
"That's just too cute." She said with a grin that caused his face to go redder. "C'mon cowboy, I dunno about you, but I'm tired. And I still have to make your bed."  
  
"I can sleep on the couch."  
  
"No, it's comfortable for sitting, but believe me it does strange things to your back when you're asleep."  
  
"Uh, okay. You want to talk anymore?"  
  
"Not right now, Nick. I'm tired. I know you got to sleep a bit today, but I had a really hard case last night. And we've been moving everything, I just need sleep."  
  
"Okay, well can I get a shower?"  
  
"Why don't you wait until after you sleep a bit?"  
  
"Uh, umm well...I think I need one now..." He hoped she didn't notice his blatant stalling.  
  
She eyed him curiously. "Okay then. I'll put your bed together then go on to bed."  
  
"Sure."  
  
He went on in and Sara realized she needed some things out of her bathroom before she could go to bed. Afraid she'd fall asleep if she went and lay down to wait she sat back down on the couch, not realizing she was asleep until waking up to a very wet Nick in only a towel around his hips standing over her.  
  
"Nick!" Her eyes snapped open, but she tried not to stare at his chiseled abs and chest, dripping in water. The towel was just hanging there, and she could see the indent of his hips. Her fists clenched as she tried not to think carnal thoughts about her best friend, but he looked so damn good. When she looked up she saw his hair was tousled and it completed the sexy ensemble. "Umm...what is it?"  
  
"Well for one I wanted to wake you to tell you to go to bed, and that I have no idea where the rest of your towels are." She looked down again and noticed that the towel he had on was basically a hand towel, and that it barely covered what it needed too. "Unless you wanted to see me wearing a facecloth in which case you could have just told me you want my body." He teased.  
  
"Uh..." Finally finding her voice as she stood up. "They're in the linen closet...sorry. Oh and the sheets for your bed," She handed them to him, forcing him to let go of the knot on his towel. "And your blanket, and comforter..."  
  
"AHH!" He cut her off as his towel slipped to the ground. Before Sara could see anything he brought his arms down so that the pile of bedclothes and towels covered him.  
  
"Oh...um...sorry..." Awkwardly he tried to find a way to bed down to pick up his towel. "Why don't I—"She made a move for the pile of clothes so he could bend down, not thinking that he was holding onto them for dear life.  
  
"That's okay Sara I got it!" He blurted out, thankful that he actually had more than a flimsy towel in front of him at the moment. 'I wonder if she'd notice if I got another shower... a very cold one... of course she would, she's a CSI for God's sake...Nick, just calm down, buddy...' he thought to himself. "I'll just go in here and get dressed." He backed up into the bathroom and shut the door.  
  
"Smooth, Sara...smooth." She said to herself and covered her face with her hands.  
  
Afraid to show her face to Nick again that afternoon, Sara went on to bed, leaving him to make his own bed as he had taken the bedclothes in the bathroom with him. She was so tired she didn't have time to think about how she had royally embarrassed herself in front of her friend and coworker, and fell sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
A loud scream from the next room woke her up suddenly. "NOOOO!" Came a loud male voice, which confused her in her sleep-clouded mind for a moment, until she remembered that Nick was staying with her. Worried about him, she went into the hall and pushed open his door. He was starring at her, panting and in a cold sweat.  
  
"Nick, what is it?"  
  
"Noth—nothing..."  
  
"Nick—"  
  
"No, I'm fine. You go on to bed."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah... maybe I'll just... go play some Playstation or something..."  
  
"You need sleep."  
  
"We're not working tonight, I can sleep then."  
  
"Nick, you need sleep. Would a warm glass of milk or something help? A bedtime story? Lullaby?" She asked with a small comforting smile.  
  
"Thanks, Sara, but you go on back to sleep. I know you're tired."  
  
"If you need to talk, you know I'm right here."  
  
"Thanks. Maybe later."  
  
"Okay." She went to go but stopped and turned around took at him for a moment. With a shy smile she asked him quietly, "What about a hug?"  
  
He grinned. "That could help." She leaned over and put her arms around him, repeating in her mind that he is in pain and needs a friend, not someone to feel his biceps for him... though they were quite strong and it felt very good to be wrapped in his arms. "Thanks Sar. For everything. You have no idea how much this means to me."  
  
Lifting off of him she smiled at him, which in turn caused him to smile again. He loved her smile, but she didn't do it nearly enough, "No problem." She said before turning around and leaving his room.  
  
"Nice going Stokes." He whispered to himself, rolling his eyes as he plopped down on his bed. "I'm sure she sees you as a real manly man now..." Too scared and frustrated to sleep, he got up and went into the living room to find something to do until Sara got up again.  
  
Read and Review!! To Be Continued... insert dramatic music here


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